Graystripe's Path
by LakeCats
Summary: AU where Graystripe becomes Thunderclan's leader like he was meant to so many moons ago. Two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

"Firestar!" Sandstorm yowled over the thundering rain. She raced to the place her mate had fallen. His body laid on the ground, Dovewing frowned. Tigerstar had disappeared, did he really kill Firestar?

"No!" A white-and-brown tabby gasped at the huddled shapes of Firestar and Sandstorm.

Squirrelflight and Leafpool pelted after Sandstorm, "He can't be dead!" Squirrelflight yowled.

They skidded to a halt and stared in horror of Firestar's body.

Sandstorm pressed her nose into her mate's sodden fur, "I told you not to waste your final life…" She whispered.

Brambleclaw crossed the clearing, the rain streaming from his whiskers. "He didn't waste it." He licked the top of the grieving queen's head.

"Fire alone will save our clan…" Leafpool muttered.

Graystripe pushed past Tigerheart and the spirit of Whitestorm, crouching beside his old friend. "I will be glad to take your place…" His voice was hoarse with grieve.

"Firestar," Dustpelt called softly, "When you see Ferncloud… tell her I love her."

Purdy nosed past him, "Is he dead…?"

"Yes…" Bumblestripe wrapped his tail over the small elder's back.

"It was his last life?" Tigerheart's ear twitched.

Dovewing nodded, "Yes." She looked at the warriors from other clans, who watched uncertainly at the entrance in their patrols. She took in a shaky breath, "It's time for you to go home. The battle is won, I think we need to stay with our clanmates…" _And yet it feels like everything has been lost…_ She drew in another breath, and slid in beside Bumblestripe.

Rain and tears dripped in her eyes, she blinked it away. Bumblestripe shifted so his pelt brushed warmly against her, Dovewing felt his breath on her ear.

"You're safe now…" he murdered.

She leaned her head on his shoulder, "I know." She didn't look back as she heard Tigerheart pad away.

Graystripe lifted his muzzle, "The battle is over… our victory belongs to Firestar!"

The rain eased as he spoke, and a shaft of moonlight sliced through the clouds and lit up the unmoving orange tabby. There was a faint noise in the camp entrance and Dovewing looked up to see a Starclan warrior glimmering beneath the ragged thorns, her blue eyes glowing like circles in the sky.

"Bluestar?" Graystripe beckoned to her with his tail. With a nod, she stepped out from the shadows and walked across the clearing. A russet tom followed, his pelt glittering with stars. A silver she-cat padded after; a mottled tabby by her side. A small black-and-white tom padded at the back, and a gray she-cat with thick fur tagged on behind.

As the clan parted to let the cats pass, a pale brown tabby, and thick-furred golden tom slipped out to join their starry clanmates. Dovewing blinked up at the walls of the hollow. They rippled with light from the Starclan pelts. The scent of wet stone, sharp and cold bathed her tongue.

 _Is this what starlight tastes like?_

Jayfeather stepped forward as they circled Firestar's body, and his grieving family. "These cats gave Firestar his nine lives." He explained. He nodded to the russet warrior, "Redtail gave a life for courage. Silverstream gave a life for loyalty."

Graystripe got to his paws and stared at the beautiful she-cat, "Silverstream…"

She pressed her nose to his, "I'll be waiting…"

"Brindleface," Jayfeather went on, dipping his head to the mottled gray tabby, "The life you gave was for protection." His blind blue gaze drifted to the small black-and-white tom, "And Swiftpaw… yours was for mentoring."

Brambleclaw nodded, "Firestar was the best mentor I could have had," he whispered.

Jayfeather nodded, "Yellowfang gave compassion, Lionheart gave courage, and Runningwind gave tireless energy, which he used to serve his clan through his lives."

As Jayfeather paused, Bluestar stepped forward her starry paws touched Firestar's pelt, "Spottedleaf isn't in Starclan anymore," her voice was thick with grief, "But she gave Firestar a life for love…"

Sandstorm's shoulders shook in a sob.

Bluestar went on. "I gave him a life for nobility, though he was born with more nobility than any warrior I ever knew." Her blue eyes glazed with sorrow. "I knew that Firestar would save our Clan many moons ago. As fire in the oldest prophecy, he succeeded. He leaves Thunderclan in the paws of a new leader." She looked at Graystripe. "If you have half the courage and loyalty of Firestar, you will be a fine leader for Thunderclan."

As she spoke the Starclan cats drew closer around Firestar's body. Touching pelts, they gazed down. A shadow stirred over the orange shape. Dovewing gasped. Pale as moonlight and as graceful as the wind, Firestar stood up.

"His spirit is leaving," Jayfeather murmured.

Firestar's gaze swept slowly over his clan. Dovewing swallowed as it reached her, then relaxed. It felt warm like sunshine.

"It's time to go," Bluestar breathed.

Firestar dipped his head to Graystripe, then leaned down and touched his muzzle to Sandstorm's. She stared up at him. Her eyes glistening with grief as he turned and followed the Starclan cats out of the hollow. Dovewing jerked her head around as a black pelt moved at the edge of her vision. Hollyleaf's spirit was padding after them.

"Look!" Sorreltail gasped.

Mousefur's spirit leaped up from her body and bounded like a kit across the clearing. Purdy whisked his tail. "She'll get all the hunting she wants now."

"Ferncloud's awake!" Amberkit squeaked from the nursery.

Ferncloud's spirit rose and padded after Mousefur. She paused at the thorn barrier and turned, dipping her head to Dustpelt, then disappeared after the others. Dovewing stared at the gap in the brambles, her chest aching.

Sandstorm stood up "Graystar!"

"Graystar!" Lionblaze lifted his muzzle to the clearing sky.

The clan joined in. "Graystar! Graystar!"

 **excuse my bad rewritenotrewrite. of course, this is part of a chapter from 'the last hope' where frstr died. best chapter in the entire series, i was so happy when i read it.**


	2. Chapter 2

The large boulder jutted out from the ground, the four thick oaks green and lush unlike how he remembered when they passed. Jayfeather shifted next to him.

"Fourtrees…" he whispered.

Graystripe nodded, "Fourtrees."

The hollow lit up with stars, rows and rows of cats' appearing. Graystripe blinked, seeing if he could recognize anyone. He shook his head as Firestar came up to him.

Firestar dipped his head, "Welcome, friend. Are you ready for your lives?"

"Yes, Firestar." Graystripe nodded. Jayfeather took a step away from him. Firestar also stepped to the side, letting the first cat come up to him.

A slender, light-gray she-cat came forward, smile plastered to her face, her eyes soft as she stared at him. Graystripe stood as he recognized his mother.

"Willowpelt…" he breathed.

She nodded, "I couldn't be prouder, Graystripe." She licked the top of his head. "With this life, I give you faith. Use it to guide your clan in what you believe is right." The life tore at his fur, heat pulsing in his veins like battle. He gasped, waiting for the feeling to fade before nodding to his mother. She nuzzled his head, "Be strong, little one." She murmured before padding back into the crowd.

Next, a golden tom came forward, Graystripe recognized the thick fur around his neck. _Lionheart._

Lionheart smiled at his apprentice, touching his nose to the younger toms'. "With this life, I give you determination. Let it give you the strength to lead your clan for many moons." Fire flashed through his bones, but faded much faster than his first life.

"Thank you." He murmured, dipping his head to his mentor.

Looking up again, he saw the deputy before him: Whitestorm. Whitestorm lowered his tuft ears as he neared his successor, he quickly dipped his head, pressing their noses together.

"With this life, I give you hope, so you may come through in your doubts." Coldness went through him as Whitestorm backed away. Graystripe blinked back open his eyes, looking around for a moment.

His pale-gray tabby half-brother came up next. His blue eyes glowed as he saw Graystripe again. He smiled, flicking his tail.

"With this life, I give you pride. Let your choices be respected not only by your clan, but by yourself as well." The same fire from determination sent shocks through him again, but this time he was prepared. As it faded he dipped his head to Longtail, softly returning his smile.

The small black tom of his old best friend came up next. Ravenpaw smiled. Graystripe's smiled faded.

"You left Barley behind?"

Ravenpaw shook his head, "Barley currently lives on the outskirts of Starclan. I visit him often, and he's well and good." He reassured him, he took a small breath. "With this life, I give you trust. Use it to understand those you wouldn't know otherwise."

A soft wave went through him as Ravenpaw pressed their noses to eachother. He smiled at the difference from the other lives. He looked at the small tom, "Tell Barley I said hi next time you see him."

Ravenpaw nodded, padding to join the others that gave him lives.

Sweet scent drifted to him as his first mate stepped forward.

"Silverstream…" he breathed.

Silverstream purred, "I'll be waiting, my love." She softy touched her nose to his forehead, "With this life, I give you curiosity. With it, explore where you wouldn't, don't be afraid."

A black tom smaller than Ravenpaw came next, his paws were paler than his body. Graystripe cocked his head.

"I am Molepaw," he introduced, "I was the son of Sorreltail and Brakenfur." He stretched his neck up, "With this life, I give you the life of understanding size isn't everything." Graystripe felt like he shrunk in his pelt, but he smiled at the tom as the pain slowly faded. Nodding to the apprentice, Molepaw quickly padded away.

Next, a sweet-smelling brown-and-white tabby came forward. "I am Honeyfern, a daughter of Sorreltail and Brakenfur. With this life, I give you love. Use it to protect your clan like it's your kit." The claws of battle went through him, he felt blood pouring quickly from himself. He gasped again, expecting the life to be soft. He took in shaky breaths, nodding as pain left him.

Lastly, Firestar came back up to him. He dipped his head again, "With this life, I give you friendship. Let your clan know you aren't someone that needs to be looked up to; you are their friend, you are their equal." With that, another soft wave passed through him, then a fire as all the lives sank in. He smiled at the fiery tabby.

"I already miss you." Graystripe told him.

Firestar smiled. "I do, too. I'll still be here, though. Silverstream and I will be waiting for you." He licked the new leader's head. "Lead your clan well, Graystar."

The ranks of cats called out the name. "Graystar! Graystar! Graystar!"

He glanced at Jayfeather. The gray tabby smiled, "Are you ready to face your clan, Graystar?"

Graystar sighed, "Yes. Yes I am. I'm Thunderclan's leader now, I must be ready."


End file.
